11 pieces of technology that could be obsolete in a few decades

Business Insider SA

Jan 10, 2019, 06:02 AM

Reported by Cheyenne Lentz

Thanks to the strides made in the tech industry, our everyday lives seem to change every decade. From the invention of the GPS to, of course, the smartphone, technology is constantly advancing and becoming a facet of daily life for many. However, as innovation occurs, some tech becomes less useful or prominent in society or sometimes altogether useless. Just think about analog phones or VCRs, both of which have all but lost a place in the present times of the 21st-century.

Here are 11 pieces of technology that experts predict will become obsolete by 2030 or 2040.

As cloud storage improves, USB drives might not be necessary.

Eventually, the cloud will be all that people use for data storage, making the flash drive obsolete in the not too distant future, predicts Isaiah Nwukor, web developer and designer at Storemods, a service for e-commerce-using individuals.

Most computing needs, even those of many software developers, will likely transition to tablets, Lemon told Business Insider. He said it might become common to have a tablet with a docking station that allows peripheral attachments, such as a keyboard or printer, and a larger screen.

Non-autonomous cars may no longer be on the roads by 2030.

"The driver's seat will become just another passenger seat as self-driving cars become more powerful and a new generation doesn't even learn how to drive," Lemon said.

Retinal implants or some other hands-free system might take the place of cell phones.

Over the years, phones have improved dramatically and have allowed us to easily access information at the click of a button. But by the year 2040, cell phones will be replaced altogether by a new hands-free system, predicts Mike Hendrickson, vice president of technology and developer products at Skillsoft.

Google Glasses, glasses that give you internet access, or retinal and ocular implants are examples of what a hands-free system could look like in our future. According to Hendrickson, all you'll have to do is give a simple voice command and you will be able to look up content wherever you are.

Computer monitors could be replaced by casting technology.

Thanks to casting technology, the need for monitors will become obsolete as well as smart TVs, according to Hendrickson.

"[People will be able to] cast anywhere anytime… Just draw any shape on a wall/object and your TV should be able to play there," Hendrickson told Business Insider.

Safe scanning technology will eliminate the need for cash and cash registers.

According to Hendrickson, in another 20 years, new technology can alleviate theft and basically eliminate the need for making payments in cash.

Eventually, Hendrick predicts you'll be able to go to a store, grab all of the items you want, and then just leave. While leaving, some sort of high-registering scans will determine if you have the funds to pay for what you grabbed and charge you, he explained.

With the popularity of online streaming, cable TV could very well be on its way out.

The number of people who have cut the cord on their cable or satellite TV in the US at the end of 2018 was an estimated 33 million adults, according to research firm eMarketer. That's an increase from the 24.9 million cord-cutters in 2017.

This upward trend of cord-cutters will only continue to increase in upcoming years, as online streaming continues to replace traditional cable TV packages. Many TV and movie viewers are opting for less expensive streaming services instead.

Using virtual and augmented reality, you might soon be able to command your computer through hand motions in the air. Some experts suggest the new integration of these realities into our technology has the potential to increase productivity both personally and in the business realm.

Receive a single WhatsApp every morning with all our latest news: click here.